Before a damaged motor vehicle can be repaired, it is necessary to determine the extent to which the location of datum points on the vehicle deviate from manufacturer's specifications. Repair is then achieved by reforming damaged portions of the vehicle until all datum points have been returned to correct relative positions. The proper repair of body damage is very important in vehicles of so called unibody construction since accurate body alignment is essential for correct vehicle suspension and steering.
The systems for measuring the damage or misalignment of vehicle bodies are commonly called measuring bridges or measuring benches. One such assembly generally includes a fixed frame having a plurality of support fixtures for engaging key datum points on the vehicle, whereby the vehicle is located in a predetermined orientation relative to a fixed center line and a datum plane. With the vehicle supported in this manner, measuring bridges or benches are employed for determining whether reference points in the vehicle are located in correct three dimensional positions relative to the center line and datum plane. The location of these datum points differ in vehicles of different manufactures and between different vehicle models of the same manufacturer. As the result, prior art measuring bridges or benches require a different set of measuring fixtures for substantially each vehicle model and body style. This substantially increases the cost of such systems, particularly as a result of a proliferation of new models which require the continued acquisition of additional fixtures.